On this blog you'll find a daily analysis of the forecast of the surf, windsurf, kitesurf and foiling conditions in Maui.
Email me if you need a Maui surf guide or a surf, SUP, SUP foil, prone foil or windfoil lesson. I've been teaching water sports since 2001.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Wednesday 6 13 18 morning call

A SUP session for me yesterday. Foiling would have been more appropriate, but I had a SUP board to try, which I ended up buying. How anachronistic for a passionate foiler, uh? Fun is only thing I'm loyal to.

Before I start this morning's call, a little more information about the plan of development of the Lahaina harbor ferry pier. Here's a map of the proposed structure. I put an S to indicate the stairs that surfers use to get in the water. It looks like the new pier will look like an upside down L, branching off the old pier and protruding out to right in front of the stairs.

If you don't know where the wave is, this picture should give you an idea (I put an arrow to indicate it).

They way it is, it doesn't seem that it will affect the wave, because the pier will be well inside of it. But we'll never know for sure until it's done. By requesting a public hearing (via email and before June 20th), there will be an opportunity of addressing that issue, together with the one of the safety of the access to the wave or anything else it might concern you. Here's an email I received that gives some guidelines.

SAVE LAHAINA HARBOR SURF SPOT!

Please write to request
a public hearing

If we do not request a
hearing, none will be held and the plan will go ahead

Deadline for receipt of
letters and emails is JUNE 20th

Send your letter to US Army Corps of Engineers requesting
that a public hearing be held in the Lahaina area at a time and date conducive
to public participation.

Your letter
may be emailed to Vera.B.Koskelo@usace.army.mil.Reference POH-2015-00221 in the subject
heading of the email. In order to be accepted, e-mail comments must originate
from the author’s e-mail account.

Both conventional mail and e-mail comments
must include the DA permit number POH2015-00221, and your name, address, and
phone number.All comments whether
conventional mail or e-mail should be received by the close of business on June
20, 2018.

If you have
any questions about the project or submission of your letter, contact Vera
Koskelo via telephone at (808) 835-4310 or via email.

POINTS TO MAKE IN YOUR LETTER

1)Request a hearing so that the surfing
community on Maui may have its questions and concerns answered.

2)State that you just recently became
aware of the project and are concerned that it may affect the surfing community

3)State any specific questions or
concerns that you might have. For example,….
How will the new pier affect the quality of the wave? How will surfers access
the waves during the construction period and after completion of the project?
Will the young surfers/groms who gather at this surf spot still be able to hole
their NSSA competitions and social gatherings here? State your own concerns or questions, whatever
they may be.

Instructions for emailing are here.

Comments can be mailed to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District Regulatory Office, Attn: Ms. Vera Koskelo, Building 230, Fort Shafter, HI 96858-5440, or e-mailed to Vera.B.Koskelo@usace.army.mil (reference POH-2015-00221 in the subject heading of the e-mail). In order to be accepted, e-mail comments must originate from the author's e-mail account.
Comments must include the DA permit number, POH- 2015-00221, and the commentor's name, address and phone number. For more information on the project or the permit process, contact Vera Koskelo at (808) 835-4310 or Vera.B.Koskelo@usace.army.mil.

And here's a little grom practicing at that break yesterday. It really is grom's central there.

South swell down to minimal levels. Today it'll probably be mostly knee high out of that declining energy. But Barbers shows the beginning of a long period swell (predicted for tomorrow), let's try to find out where that is coming from (if it's true).

Below is the collage of the maps of June 5, 6 and 7. There first was a wide fetch right over New Zealand (hence heavily blocked by it) and then on the 7th a very strong one aimed to the east of us, of which we should get some angular spreading over the weekend.

Overall, a tricky setup to predict, that's why the models could have missed the long period energy Barbers is reading. Keep an eye on that buoy during the day (all the buoys are at link n.11) and on my beach report, if I decide to cruise over there also today. I'll check Hookipa first though.

North shore
Pauwela

5.3ft @ 8s from 81° (E)

2.7ft @ 11s from 345° (NNW)

There we go, on top of the extremely consistent windswell, today we have a lovely bit of NNW energy. Waves could possibly be fun, and I'll check them out before 7am. Sketchy low tide for sure.

Wind map at noon.

The two lows have started their Fujiwara dance. The whole thing is only offering a small WNW fetch at the moment, but it should get better tomorrow as the dance shifts NNE. The windswell fetch is relentlessly in position instead.

South Pacific not looking particularly exciting today and for the rest of the week): the small energy from that little fetch will most likely be blocked by the Big Island.

Plenty availability of studios and apts in Paia and the north shore.

About Me

Born and raised in Italy, I became an engineer and worked 11 years in the IT industry. Sick of that, in 2001 I wanted to take a year off and spend it in Maui, the best windsurfing spot in the world. Not only I'm still here (in Maui), but I also got into surfing. And the stoke is flying high. Life is too short to work 8 hours a day...